List of Fish Species in the Fontenelle Reservoir (Updated)

Located in Lincoln County of southwest Wyoming, the Fontenelle Reservoir covers 8,000 acres of land and has about 53 miles of shoreline. The Fontenelle Reservoir is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, and while it is not the most popular vacation destination in Wyoming, the reservoir offers many fun recreational opportunities for visitors. One of the more popular areas to visit at the reservoir is the Fontenelle Creek Recreation Area. Here, visitors can camp, hike, picnic, barbecue, and participate in watersports.

There are also boat ramps that allow access to the water for fishing as well as fishing opportunities along the shore. Because the Fontenelle Reservoir is a cooler body of water, anglers can catch desirable cold-water sportfish. There are also other species of fish that call the reservoir home that can be seen swimming throughout the water. Below are some of the most common fish species that can be found in the Fontenelle Reservoir.

Fontenelle Reservoir Fish Species 

1) Cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii)

Cutthroat trout have more than 10 subspecies in varying geographic locations, but the subspecies that are found in Wyoming include the Yellowstone cutthroat, Colorado River cutthroat, Bear River (Bonneville) cutthroat, and the Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat. Each subspecies looks slightly different from the others; however, there are characteristics that all of these subspecies share. While coloration varies among different subspecies, all cutthroat trout have red marks on their lower jaws. Cutthroat trout also have teeth on the base of their tongue called basibranchial teeth.

These fish range from about 7 – 16 inches in length and weigh around 4 – 9 pounds, although the Lahontan cutthroat trout is the largest subspecies, which can weigh up to 40 pounds. There are both anadromous and freshwater cutthroat trout.

Cutthroat trout are largely solitary animals and will only interact with other trout during spawning season. This species of trout is also relatively sedentary and is only active when migrating or hunting. Cutthroat trout feed on algae, small crustaceans, and insects when they are young, and adults will feed on just about anything including other fish. These fish are not threatened or endangered as a whole species; however, their populations are being threatened by habitat loss as well as the stocking of other trout species like the rainbow trout.

2) Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Rainbow trout are one of the most popular fish species in the Fontenelle Reservoir. This species comes in two forms: freshwater resident and anadromous. Rainbow trout that reside in freshwater, like those in the Fontenelle Reservoir, are typically a lighter silver color with intense dark markings along the body, and they have a light pink line running laterally from head to tail. Rainbow trout generally grow between 12 – 20 inches and usually weigh 1 – 4 pounds, although they can get much larger. This species is also closely related to the cutthroat trout, but unlike cutthroat trout, rainbow trout do not have basibranchial teeth.

Rainbow trout are extremely hostile towards each other as soon as they hatch because only the strongest and largest will be able to outcompete for space and food. Juvenile and adult rainbow trout primarily feed on larvae that float through the water. Relying on this food source saves a lot of energy since they are not actively foraging, but adults will also eat other fish, crustaceans, and worms. Rainbow trout are an incredibly popular sportfish, and this species has been introduced to every continent except for Antarctica. While this species is thriving in certain areas, some populations of steelheads, or anadromous rainbow trout, are actually endangered or threatened, mainly due to the creation of dams that block access to spawning streams.

3) Brown trout (Salmo trutta)

Brown trout are another popular sportfish in the Fontenelle Reservoir. These fish prefer to live in slow-moving, deep streams, but they are also known to inhabit lakes, reservoirs, and marine environments. Brown trout have brown or olive green bodies with dark colored spots, and their undersides are tannish. Also, female brown trout tend to have a larger abdomen and a smaller head compared to males. Adult brown trout range from about 7 – 22 inches in length and weigh anywhere from 1 – 52 pounds.

Brown trout are very active and sociable fish. Social hierarchies are formed within populations, and the males that exhibit the most assertive behaviors, such as quivering, charging, and biting, are at the top of the hierarchy. Brown trout primarily feed on invertebrates and crustaceans, but larger individuals will prey on other fish. These fish have been introduced to waters all over the world, and they are considered invasive in many areas. While they are a popular sport fish, brown trout seem to be having many negative impacts on ecosystems including the decline of other fish species, as well as the alteration of algal biomass in certain waters where the number of brown trout is not controlled. The daily creel limit for trout species combined (excluding lake trout) is six fish in the Fontenelle Reservoir.

4) Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush)

Lake trout are mainly found in lakes with very high concentrations of dissolved oxygen, but they are able to survive in deep, cold bodies of water that are low in nutrients. Lake trout have a greenish-colored body that is full of cream-colored spots from the head all the way to the tail, and the lower fins are usually an orange-red color. This species has an average length of 19.7 inches and usually weighs 5 – 15 pounds, but they can get much larger as well.

Lake trout are solitary except during breeding season. They are piscivores, but if this species has to move to deeper water in the warmer summer months to keep cool, they may have to feed entirely on zooplankton. Lake trout are an extremely popular sportfish and have been introduced to waters all over the globe, including South America and New Zealand. In Wyoming, the daily creel limit for lake trout is six fish, and no more than one fish caught can be over 24 inches in length.

5) Burbot (Lota lota)

Burbot are the only freshwater cod species in North America, and they enjoy the cold, clear waters that the Fontenelle Reservoir has to offer. These fish come in a variety of colors from gray to brown to olive, and they have dark mottling covering their whole body. Burbot also have very long dorsal and anal fins that almost seem to attach to the caudal fin, and their microscopic scales make them appear to be scaleless.

Burbot are relatively long-lived fish, so it takes about six or seven years for them to grow to around 16 inches long and 3 – 5 pounds in weight. As juveniles, burbot mainly feed on zooplankton and insects, and adults will primarily eat other fish. Burbot are an invasive species in the Fontenelle Reservoir, so there is no harvest limit for these fish, and they must be killed immediately after catching them.

6) Kokanee salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)

Kokanee salmon are a land-locked species of sockeye salmon that complete their whole life cycle in freshwater. This species is stocked throughout much of Wyoming including the Fontenelle Reservoir, and anglers love to try to catch these fish. Kokanee salmon have blueish backs and silver sides, but during spawning season, males will turn bright red and develop a humped back and a hooked jaw, much like male sockeye salmon. Females will also turn a dark red during the breeding season, but they do not develop a hooked jaw or humped back.

Although sockeye and kokanee salmon have very similar coloration, kokanee salmon are much smaller than sockeye salmon. On average, kokanee salmon grow to about 9 – 17 inches long and will weigh around one pound. This species almost only feeds on zooplankton, which they capture through filter feeding with their gill rakers. Kokanee salmon can also feed on tiny plants, insects, and freshwater shrimp if needed.

7) Walleye (Sander vitreus)

Walleye are non-game fish in the Fontenelle Reservoir, and they can often be found in areas with a plethora of submerged coverings. This species has a brownish-green body that fades to a cream belly complete with dark horizontal lines. These fish are the largest of the perch family, and they average about 11 pounds.

Walleye get their name from their big, glassy pupils, and these eyes look like this due to a reflective layer on the inner eye called the tapetum lucidum, which helps walleye see prey in times of low visibility. This layer makes walleye sensitive to bright light, however, so they often hunt for their prey, like fishes and mudpuppies, at dusk or night. In the Fontenelle Reservoir, there is no harvest limit and there is a “must be killed” regulation for walleye, since they are an unwanted species.

8) Yellow perch (Perca flavescens)

Yellow perch enjoy clear cool waters like the Fontenelle Reservoir, but they are an unwanted species and not incredibly common to find in the reservoir. Yellow perch are known for their golden-yellow to greenish bodies covered in 6-8 dark vertical bars. These fish have yellow or green eyes and orange-red tinted fins.

Yellow perch generally grow to about 7 – 10 inches long and weigh around one pound, although this species is prone to having stunted growth in areas where food is limited. When food is abundant, adults will feed on the bottom of the water with their subterminal mouth, and they will search for items such as benthic macroinvertebrates as well as smaller fish. There is no harvest limit for yellow perch in the Fontenelle Reservoir, and any yellow perch that are caught must be reported to the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission and killed immediately.

9) Mountain whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni)

Mountain whitefish are a coldwater species that can be found in streams and lakes with clear waters like the Fontenelle Reservoir. This species is characterized by its long slender body with a brown or olive back, silver sides, and white belly. These fish also have short heads with slightly pointed snouts.

Mountain whitefish generally grow to about 10 – 16 inches in length in Wyoming. This species has a very small mouth with a tooth patch on the tongue, which they use to eat plankton in the reservoir, but they can also eat some insects as well. The daily creel limit for whitefish species in the Fontenelle Reservoir is currently six fish.